Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-22
PROHIBITION.
An Address TO the People OF Texas by
the Prohibition State Gem
trail Committee.
The Platform on which The Campaign is
to be Made-Method eff County Or
gAnizattOn Suggested.
Special to the Gazette.

Gently passed q bill, which has since re-
ceived the Governors approval, submit
ting to aVote OF the people constitutional
amendment prohibiting the manufacture
and sale of ardent spirits as beverage IN
Texas. The election is ordered TO take
place on the 4th day Of August next.
?. Prohibition is now conceded to be 9
non-partisan question and any voter may
favor or oppose it without affecting his
party allegiance.
3. Accepting this now unquestioned
declaration duly authorized call was
made for non-polttical Prohibition con-
ventiOn to meet in Waco, March 10 inst.
+. In response 10 this call large and
representative Prohibition convention,
composed of prominent cit zens Of Texas,
of all political parties and shades of re-
ligiOus belief, uO one abating any article
OF his religious or political faith, but all
agreeing and uniting in a common effort
to relieve common country from the
baletul domination of common enemy,
did meet in the City of Waco on the day
appointed.
5. This convention has just closed it's
IabOrs in this city.
Over 400 delegates representing ninety
counties were present besides many c0un-
ties represented by letter.
The season was short, but character
lied by the practical wisdom and unanim-
! ity of It's COUNCILS.
4 plan of campaign was devised and its
management entrusted 10 a State Central
Commute with headquarters at Waco.
The convention instructed this central
committee to send out at once to the peO-
| pie of Texas an address setting forth the
mature CT the canvass, the issues invOlV-
ed IN it and the best methods of work "
! In the partial discharge of this duty, at
| this time, and to the end it's complete
| discharge may be more effective in the fu
| ture, we now Set forth the following
NATURE OF THE CANVASS.
| This is auth relatively stated by the
convention itself in the following terms
"That we make this campaign as citi-
Zens of Texas, without reference to race,
party pOlit cs, religious distinctions or
temperance societies, as such, leaving to
all organizations, moral or religious, to
adopt their own methods of help ing in
this great conflict"
This platform is just as broad as hu-
manity anu citizenship. We are not
working in this campaign for or against
any religious or political party. No
| question Of preferment is involved. We
nave not g word to say for or against the
! Democratic party, the Republican party
or the third party Prohibitionists. No
one of them is on trial in this canvass.
We mean to say, distinctly and en-
phatiCaly. that we accept the place as
signed to this canvass by the wisdom of
our state Legislature. We understand
that they designedly ordered this election
to take place at a time when there would
! be no other election, thus absolutely dis
sociating it from all candidacy for office
and leaving it to the people, as citizens,
| to determine as they deem best.
| TIE constitution is for all the people,
and this is TO be voted on as a constitu-
tiOnal amendment and not as party
question.
We desire to be explicit on another
point: This is not local option contest
nor an fort to amend existing local OPP
ton laws.
The local option clause is already in
the constitution, and the Legislature
alone has the power to amend existing
statutes prediCated upon that constitu-
tionaI clause, and is now engaged Id this
very work. This is a separate and dis.
tiGCt question. 1t is readily conceivable
how man might from conviction oppose
local option, e., prohibition, in his city
or county, and yet favor constitutional
safe prohibition, or vice versa. Because
# This distinction, and from otheFcgo0d
reasons, we advise Prohibitionists
throughout the state rot to stir up the
enbers Of fires kindled in local option
conflicts.
Let US not fire a shot backwards. Let
US reserve every cartridge for those who
do now align themselves against US on
this quite distinct issue. Besides, the
adoption of this amendment obviates the
necessity Of ever having another local OPP
ton contest, and 8 failure to pess it,
which we do not fear. leaves US where we
are now, with all present local privileges
remaining to US unimpaired. What then is
THE ISSUE INVOLVED?
We say issue because there is but one:
Shall the state Of Texas by constitutional
amendment prohibit the manufacture and
sale of ardent spirits as beverage?
None but 8n anarchist will deny to
Democratic people the right to make,
alter and amsnd their own constitution.
The sovereignty is in the people. The
bill Of rights interpreted by the Supreme
court is an all-sufiicient and the only
possible guarantee against the tyranny Of
a ms oTity. By that final and crncial test
must this proposed amendment be tried.
Other recourse can no people have but
revolution.
The one issue then is this: Are there
good and sufficient reasons why the
people of Texas, in their sovereign
capacity, shall prohibit in the state
bounds the manufacture and sale Of
ardent spirits as beverage
That is to say, will it add to the vel
tsre of the whole people OF Texas to sup
press the liquor traffic for the purpose
stated? Will it enhance our material
interestsF Will it give better tone to
society: VIII it tend to the amelioration
OF poverty, the prevention and suppress
sion of vice and crime? Will it add to
the security of government by developing
better and more reliable citiz ms? Will
it help towards securing the purity of
elections, unbiased legislation, righteous
municipal government, and will it de-
crease the enormous burdens impose
upon the people in the outlay for the adj
ministratiOn Of justice by the courts and
for notice jallS and Deuitentiarips2 In